3 Students Arrested in Boston Bombing

And taken into custody by federal authorities

(Newser)
–
Federal authorities arrested three 19-year-old college students today in connection with the Boston Marathon bombings, the Boston Globe reports. Two, Azamat Tazhayakov and Dias Kadyrbayev of New Bedford, have been charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice for allegedly helping Dzhokhar Tsarnaev dispose of a laptop and a backpack full of fireworks. They were reportedly classmates of Tsarnaev's at University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth. According to the indictment, they've admitted to ditching the backpack "after concluding from news reports that [Tsarnaev] was one of the Boston bombers," CBS Boston reports. The act, CNN adds, led to a two-day search of a New Bedford landfill.

Tazhayakov and Kadyrbayev are originally from Kazakhstan, and sources tell Reuters they're being held by immigration officials. They were in court for a visa violation hearing earlier today, the AP reports. There, their lawyer said they were drawn to Tsarnaev because he also spoke Russian. The third suspect, Robel Phillipos of Cambridge, is an American, and is charged with making false statements to federal law enforcement. He faces up to eight years in prison, while the Kazakh students face up to five.

In this Tuesday, April 16, 2013 file photo Investigators in haz-mat suits examine the scene of the second bombing on Boylston Street in Boston near the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon.
(AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)

In this Monday, April 15, 2013 file photo provided by Ben Thorndike, people react to an explosion at the 2013 Boston Marathon.
(AP Photo/Ben Thorndike, File)

If that's the best the feds have now, then they're just squeezing. It doesn't sound like they have very much new here.
- Alan Dershowitz, defense attorney and Harvard Law professor, assessing the government's case

If they truly did what they are accused of..... THEN FRY THEM & MOVE ON!!!!!

2cent

May 2, 2013 1:31 AM CDT

I agree with Dersh. Shoulda offed the loser. Now we have to watch the lawyers and sycophants jockey for this ass' attention, and pay for his housing.

1freeusa

May 1, 2013 7:38 PM CDT

It seems strange that two kazakhistan conspirators get less potential time than the U S citizen that lied to federal authorities.......Hell our government lies to us all the time and they dont go to jail

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